A lesson in Confidence
by ScottyBgood
Summary: Robbie has the potential to be a great comedian, and maybe even a good man. The man Cat needs. Even Cat's best friend int he world can see that. However, what he needs, they all agree, is a little confidence. And sometimes, building that confidence can have unexpected side effects. One shot.


Disclaimer: I don't own, Schneider Bakery and Nickelodeon do

Warning, contains mild violence.

No nerds were hurt in the writing of this story.

:}

Robbie circled, not happy about this, even if he had to agree, it did help his confidence. 'She's faster then you are, and stronger, and god, she can hit hard...'

"ROBBIE!" Trina screeched from her spot at the head of the room, where she'd bee watching the students do their sparing. "Get out of your head, or she'll tear you apart." It was an order, one meant to keep him alive.

Robbie refocused on the tall, blue eyed girl he'd drawn to spar against that day. Jade. The Gothic princess of Hollywood Arts, and easily the most dangerous opponent he could face. The belt she wore was as black as the instructors, though it had fewer gold stripes. Robbie knew he wasn't her match, and she was only sparring with him to help him work on his passivity. "Okay, focusing on my..."

He was on the floor, looking up at the lights. "Aaaannnd that happened."

"You need to stay focused." Jade told him. "Thinking about winning, or losing, can take your mind off the moment. This is totally zen, being in the moment., while having a plan formed in your head, cause once the fight starts, thinking of a plan can be as much a distraction as watching a movie."

"O-okay." Robbie said, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.

"Look, Rob, you need to step it up." Jade said. "It's only a short while before I head off to collage, and lord knows, sooner or later, Sam's gonna go back to Seattle, so someone has to be able to stand up and look out for Cat."

"But that doesn't mean fighting." Robbie once again protested.

He already made that point, but Jade simply countered by saying "It's not about fighting. It's about confidence. Knowing you can do this will help you be the man she needs." She glared at him, taking his eyes with her own, holding him with her will alone. "Gonna be hella easier making you into a man then finding someone good for her with the attributes she wants."

"Admit it, this is just an excuse to kick me around, isn't it." The boy whined.

"It will be if you keep whining like that." Jade barked.

"Rob, look, you're getting what amounts to private lessons, advancing at a good rate." Trina pointed out. "Like Jade before you, it's about learning, taking your bumps, cause you're already in good shape, and flexible enough. We just need to add some mad skills, so when the moment comes, you'll be able to man up and be there for Cat."

"Um, how long did it take for Jade to get this skilled?" Robbie wondered.

"I started training her shortly after Tori started at Hollywood Arts." Trina told him, smiling. "I know, surprising, given the nature of our relationship."

"You mean cause no one at school liked you?" Jade asked.

"You did." Trina shot back. "You became my friend, which made my whole plan that much harder, even though we did get there."

"So almost three years?" Rob asked, feeling better.

"Given her willingness to learn, her dancers background, and the fact that it was almost all one on one training, yea, three years was about right." Trina said.

"I had some training before, from when I was young." Jade added. "So, you've had a break, so get up and come at me. Pay attention, cause you know I don't hold back."

Trina gave a look to Jade, doubt shown in her face. "Like he'd be able to walk if you weren't holding back." The older girl said.

"Wait, she's holding back?" Rob asked.

"Um, I wasn't gonna tell him." Jade said. "He needs all the confidence boosts he can get."

"Yea, he does." Trina nodded. "But lying won't help. In fact, I think it's better he know you're holding back, cause that way, he'll get that we're trying to help him."

"Only to help Cat, but yea, yes, we're trying to help." Jade surrendered.

"Which is why you're taking those comedy classes." Trina added.

"Wait, what?" Rob asked, feeling miles behind.

"Oh come on, we all knew that the best way for Jade to help you was for her to understand what you were trying to do." Trina told the boy. "She does stage magic, so she can help you there, and she is learning comedy, so she can help you be funny too."

"Just learn to be more self confident, laugh at yourself, and stop relying on Rex." Jade said. "Most of the time, when he's funny, it's cause the audience thinks his making fun of you is your doing. You don't need him."

Rex wasn't there to defend himself, cause of the many threats Jade had made to show off her wood breaking skills on the first manikin she found. Trina, being a touch nicer, had simply said the puppet could be there as long as he was participating in class. Rex chose to flee rather then face Jade unleashed.

"Okay, lets start over." Jade told him.

"Sorry, out of time." Trina cut them off. "Jade, time for your private lesson. Then, we have the group lesson from master Reagan…."

"Yea, yea, yea." Jade griped. "Okay, Rob, practice, cause I'll be expecting more from you tomorrow when we spar during our free period."

"Looking forward to it." The boy said. 'Or more correctly, looking forward to the day I can get through that defense. Girls solid. And Trina, Trina taught her most of wheat she knows. That's scary enough. Man, I got lucky they decided to teach me, cause maybe the confidence will help...'

Robbie changed out of his practice uniform and into his street clothes. Sometimes the girls would have him train in what he was wearing, both to bring an awareness of what he had on, as well as to get him used to being able to fight in whatever he may have on. That day, like most, he'd been in uniform, and was on his way out of the dojo they'd been using, some place Trina had visited most of her life.

'Jeeze, who'd have thought that Trina's mothers maiden name was Reagan. Misses Vega, or master Holly is one of the instructors here, and insisted that her children study fighting, which doesn't explain why Tori isn't any good at it. Guessing it's cause she's the youngest, and the discipline didn't help Trina nearly as much as it did Tori. Or maybe it has to do with sibling rivalry, but one thing it does do is make me laugh at how the others treat misses Vega, as opposed to her husband. Mister Vega is a cop, trained to defend himself, but he's not the martial artist his wife is. Beck and Dre both think Holly is a pushover. God, one day, I hope they get to see the woman I've seen, breaking cement blocks to demonstrate it can be done...'

"Robbie Shapiro?" A voice asked, and the nerdy boy found himself facing two of his former bullies. Both boys had gone to regular high schools, and once his family moved, to avoid these bullies, he'd been free of their harassment. But the two boys, both big football players, were now face to face with him, ready to renew acquaintances. "My god, it is him. And here we were, thinking today was gonna be a total bust, what with those girls giving us that attitude. Man, you'd think they'd be grateful that a couple of studs like us would want to give them the time of day…."

"Um, hi Brad, Stan." Rob said, smiling a nervous smile. "Look, I was just heading home form class..."

"Yea, what nerd class did you take tonight?" Brad, the spokesman, said. "Can't be guitar, cause no guitar. Maybe playing with dolls?" He smirked to his accomplice. "Funny that they have classes for that, but if you're as lame as Rob here, I guess you need to take the classes, even for that."

"Look, guys, I was just heading home, and I don't need any trouble." Rob knew better then to bring up Rex, or anything that might remind them of how cool they used to be, or how uncool he'd always been.

"You know, it's been a while since I gave anyone a wedgie." Stan said. "Going off to school soon, and it'd be a shame if I got out of practice."

"Look, guys, we're growing up." Robbie tried. "We're past needing to give anyone wedgies."

"You know what?" Brad said. "I need another trophy for my case, to show off at the new school." The two advanced on the hapless boy. "Rob, bend over, and it'll only hurt a lot." The laughed.

Robbie wanted to run, but at the same time, something inside told him they'd just run him down. 'No, I have to fight. What was the first thing they taught me? Oh yea, focus, cause when things happen, they happen fast. Now, circle, don't let them surround me, make 'em come at me one at a time, and look for my opening to flee. A smart fighter knows when it's time to just run...'

The boys tried to herd him into an out of the way place, even though the street they were on wasn't that busy. Both knew what they were about to do was technically a crime, and neither wanted to risk their sweet rides, their potential athletic scholarships, by adding ANOTHER arrest to their records.

"Guys, I REALLY need to be getting home now." Robbie tried again. But he knew his options were dwindling, fast. 'When one goes for my underware, odds are they'll split up to herd me towards each other. That's when I go. Choose my target, and strike. Hit low, take the legs out, and then run. If the other grabs me, then I react. Okay, we have a plan. Not much of one, and it probably won't work, but we have it. Best to just try and talk my way out of things, even if we have a plan...'

Brad tried circling around, all while Stan stood tall, drawing attention to himself. Then, Brad made a noise, to turn Robbie his way, so the other boy could make the grab, and the tormenting could resume.

Robbie moved. The noise was, he assumed, a distraction, which meant that Brad wouldn't be as close as he wanted, just to keep Robbie from getting around him. So, target chosen, Rob moved directly towards Stan.

The big man was ready, cause some people run at the sound. But he wasn't ready for Robbie to duck low, and slid a spinning low kick into his leg. Robbie used the impact to get close, wrapping his leg behind the bigger kids knee, and push, bringing the man down, hard. Robbie landed on top, but was already rolling, over the boys body, and back to his feet. That's when he saw his opening, and started to run.

Stan was on him in an instant, rushing him and grappling, trying to pull the boy back into that out of the way place they'd chosen.

Robbie felt himself smirk. 'Should have gone for the tackle, damn the risk. I've already shown moves you weren't ready for.'

Already, Robbie was shifting his weight, moving to envelope the other kids legs. Stan, big and strong, wasn't dumb. He'd seen the trip, and stepped back to avoid it. That gave Robbie the chance to react, rolling under the boys arm, shifting his weight low, under Stands center of gravity, and heaving upward.

Stan hit the ground with all the force Robbie could muster, plus the pull of gravity. A pained groan left his lips, even as the nerdy boy started to run towards the dojo. It was the closest place where he'd be safe. Brad was already on his feet, rushing after the boy. 'He won't make the same mistake, so when he gets close...'

Robbie kept half an eye on the bigger boy, running as quickly as he could, slowed by the distraction of watching the other boy closing. But when Brad was close, he dropped, deliberately aiming to take out the legs, again.

Brad lept up over Robbie, only to be met by the smaller boys sudden rise, adapting to the counter. Robbie reached up and grabbed the other boys shirt, shifting his weight and pulling the boy into a slam, planing Brad on the ground. Pain once again emanated from his lips.

Stan was upon him. Robbie knew they could take a few hits, so had little hope of convincing them to just let him go. Out of options, he turned to meet the other boy, this time abandoning the throws in favor of some strikes.

Stan hadn't expected more then a token punch or two, so when the spinning kicks started, he dodged away. Robbie was happy about that. Technically, his shoes were weapons. But Rob pushed his advantage, striking with fists and elbows as he drove the bigger boy back, step by step, overwhelming Stan with strikes to the body. An uppercut dropped Stan to his knees, and Robbie once again rabited.

The two were slowly getting to their feet. Brad was hurting from the second slam, not able to catch his breath fast enough to help his friend in the melee. "Damn, where did that come from? Six months ago, he was the same wimp as always."

"Hell, he was trying to talk his way out of his richly deserved ass whipping as is." Stan agreed, feeling his jaw ache. "You okay?"

"I've had worse." Brad said. "So, lets find the boy, beat him till he remembers, we're the tough guys, not him."

The two men got to their feet, and started limping towards where Robbie had run off to. They had murder in their eyes, their pride more deeply wounded then their bodies. Both boys wanted to hurt Robbie, just to feel like they weren't weak, the same reason they'd always picked on the weaker kids.

They found him taking to a couple of busty girls. "Looks like our lucky day." Stan said, contemplating a much worse crime as part of the regaining of their manhood. "Ladies, make it worth our while, and we won't hurt your bud there, much..." He smiled as sinister a smile as he could muster.

They woke up a short while later, wondering how it was they'd managed to find two stuck up bitches. "They had huge boyfriends." Brad tried.

"Yea, absolutely huge." Stan agreed.

Robbie stood in awe of what had just happened. More then watching Jade unleashed, Trina having stayed back just in case, he was realizing he'd held his own against the two boys. 'If it had been one on one, I could have beaten either one of them...'

"So, Rob, you hurt?" Trina asked as Jade was administering first aid to the two defeated boys. Jade did have the tenancy to over do things, and their master had insisted.

"I'm fine.' Robbie said. "They landed a few hits, but for the most part, I was able to avoid."

"Yea, kinda funny when it starts to some together." Trina nodded. "Now, if they'd have had a weapon..."

"They're just bullies." Robbie said. "I was a victim of convenience. I embarrassed them by not being wedgied."

"No, they embarrassed themselves." Trina corrected. "Just, take the lesson."

"I can take a beating?" Robbie joked. At the glare Jade sent him, he corrected himself. "I'm not the victim any more."

"That'll do." Trina said. "I'm going home. See ya tomorrow."

"Yea, bye." He waved, marveling at what he'd just done.

Jade took a moment to glance back at Rob on her way to her car. "Betting he still can't man up to Cat."

:}

I said no nerds were harmed.

Thought I'd try a more Robbie focused approach today. Hope you enjoyed this story.


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